Those Eyes
by Koojiruzero
Summary: Ryuu and Itachi are both prodigies in their rival clans. After the incident Ryuu's respect for the man never fades, and as her and Sasukes friendship develops, so do her problems. This is a story of love, hear break and everything in between.


She sat there, by herself on the forests edge. The wind whispered softly calling forth memories. So tender, so young a woman of free will. She, was hard to pin with personality and there was only ever one man who could. Lighting her cigarette and drawing in its toxic bliss she exhaled her thoughts carried by the soft night breeze.

This is her story, of love, tragedy friendship and everything inbetween. How she met him, how she effected him. Most importantly, how he shaped her to be the woman she is today...

They had always been close to the Uchiha, because of course as the old saying goes:

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer".

So it was no surprise that the head of the Uchiha family was at her birthday. It was her 8th! Ryuu Chi, born of the leaders of her clan. Today, was more then her birthday though, a cool essence like a snake writhed its way around everyone. Ryuu was never easily fooled as a child so she feigned cheer and joy, blowing out her candles like a good girl and clapping happily at all the wonderful gifts. All the while she kept a slit eye on Fugaku. She knew there was something shifty about the man, and always had. He, seemed to enjoy her presence, always praising her abilities and liking her potential to his eldest son. Ryuu never wanted to be the best, she just wanted a simple life, away from all of these secrets choking her at every turn, waking her with nightmares. And today, felt worse then every other day. She knew all too well that there was something she was missing, some inevitable truth lurking behind all of the smiles and joyful eyes. She looked over to Itachi and studied him. They had been acquaintances, but she had always felt some sort of strange kinship she could never describe. She thought, it was the fact that they were both over worked "prodigies". His face never gave anything away, his posture, nothing! She could only ever tell that something was deeply troubling the young male. As she sipped her cup she noticed his gaze shifted to her, making her freeze. She began to cough as the coke slipped down the wrong hole. Sasuke jumped, his party hat slipping to the side

"Ryuu-chan!" he called slapping her back. Ryuu glared at him and put her hand up coughing still. Itachi, calming stood up and grabbed her arms lifting them up and thats when he said

"Breath" in a calm slow voice. Ryuu felt her face flush, she never liked people touching her it always made her feel award. She did as she was instructed though and sure enough the cough was cleared. Uttering a quiet thanks she watched the boy walk away, his posture his weak smile, and noted everything. Fugaku had a smug smile on his face, and her mother was giggling. Sasuke was dancing around her asking to play.

'Is he blind or just stupid?' she thought to herself, instantly feeling guilt for the thought. Plastering on her best smile the two kids sped off wrestling in the yard. Itachi folded his arms and watched them wistfully, a smile creasing his face, but was sadly short lived.

"You think she will take the news well?" Gina, Ryuu's mother asked.

"I don't honestly believe she will understand whats going on" Mikoto murmured softly gazing at her glass. Itachi frowned and walked away feeling his fury rise. He hated, no loathed how they were thinking this would be a good birthday present to her! His head was a fuzz as he strolled across the grass, barely noticing where he was going. Thats when she smashed her skull into his ribs.

"oh! S-sorry Itachi-san!" Ryuu said in a peep her face growing red. He put on his best smile trying not to revile a thing to this very vigilant girl

"Don't worry about it" he said with a soft hearted smile as he ruffled her hair.

"eerm!" Ryuu felt an uneasiness wriggle in her stomach, and moved Itachi's hand. Itachi frowned again but couldn't suppress his smile. Ryuu turned from him now, she couldn't afford to be any more irritated right now. Sasuke ran up to her huffing.

"Ryuu-chan! have a secret favor to ask of you" he said cute round onyx eyes filled with hope. Ryuu felt tears sting her eyes, his face was too sweet to pass up, sending her heart a flutter.

"Sure Sasuke-chan, what is it?". Sasuke blushed and put his hands behind his back rocking on his feet. Ryuu felt a twinge of irritant but let it slide waiting for his request. Instead she got his hand pulling her away closer to the woods. Panicked she pulled her hand away

"Whats with you?" she demanded face red as a panic attack grasped her.

"I just wanted this to be privet" Sasuke told her looking at the ground. Hope fluttered her once again

'is, is he going to confess?' she thought hoping to be admired by such a sweet handsome boy.

"I want you to help me with training" Sasuke finally declared. Ryuu blinked back her disappoint and looked at the ground pretending to consider rather then express her true emotions

"Why? Your already so good" she said after consideration. Sasuke became flustered

"Because! My dad only notices Itachi and you!" he said finally his voice cracking "Its always 'Itachi this Ryuu that' he never sees ME!". Ryuu looked at the boy sympathetically. Anger gripped her shoulders, how could Fugaku be such an ass? She knew now why she hated him, and she didn't like the idea of Sasuke being admired by him but she gave.

"Alright, alright just don't start crying" she teased now, hoping Sasuke wouldn't actually do it.

"You will?" Sasuke said eyes lighting up again as he leapt to hug Ryuu but she stepped back.

"Yes I will" she said happily feeling hope surge through her. Sasuke nodded and turned his head

"So, after school we can sneak away into the woods and train! So no one sees". Ryuu blinked

"Why can't anyone see?" she asked tilting her head. Before Sasuke could respond their mothers voices came through the trees. He tried to go but Ryuu grabbed his arm, her determined orange eyes blazed through him

"If you don't tell me I wont help" she snarled. Sasuke flinched now, a look of guilt swept his face making Ryuu glow with pride but was quenched with another feeling of guilt. Sasuke looked down and drew in a breath

"Because I don't want my father to know, at all so we have to be sneaky" he explained. Ryuu nodded and thought

"Ok lets go before our moms go grey" she said pushing his arm and running off "race you!" she called gleefully over her shoulder.

Ryuu fell to her knees huffing, Sasuke beside her. They glanced at each other and smiled smugly

"Think you got the Shuriken throws down?" Ryuu asked inbetween gasps

"Yeah" Sasuke said smiling. They both stood in unison and highfived "See you tomorrow!" Sasuke said as he ran home. Ryuu folded her arms with a smirk, she was beginning to feel a closeness to Sasuke she never deemed possible. They had begun sitting beside each other in class, drawing notes when Narutos slowness required review and they got bored. Giggling softly gaining the unwanted attention of his fan-girl clique. But they never bothered her, only tried desperately to make her graduate, everyone knew she could. She didn't really want that though. Glancing at the sky Ryuu dashed after Sasuke, they lived close to one another and the moon was already high in the sky. Sasuke was already a good 10 feet ahead but that didn't phase her, she had her fill today. A stick in the background snapped causing Ryuu to turn defensively. Sasuke turned to see and fell, twisting his ankle as Itachi stepped out of the shadows. Blinking Ryuu turned her face away, she couldn't bare to see HIS face right now. Itachi came over and softly touched her head, nothing more and no greetings this time. A pang of hurt shot through her but Ryuu tried desperately to ignore it. She didn't want his attention!

"Sasuke, you should be more careful" Itachi said picking up his younger brother and setting him in for a piggy back. Ryuu turned her head to see the brotherly love she so desperately wanted. She was sadly an only child. "DO join us for dinner Ryuu" Itachi said in his suave calm voice.

"Yeah sure" Ryuu said following directly behind the brothers. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at the girl but she refused to meet his eyes. As they approached the police head quarters Sasuke spoke of his want to get off Itachi's back. Ryuu smiled thinking that she wouldn't refuse a piggy back, hse missed such things.

"Is that where dad works?" Sasuke asked now. Ryuu glanced at the blue star with the Uchiha symbol in the middle. Sighing she thought once more

'blind or stupid which are you?' as Itachi explained the Uchiha's founding of the police. Ryuu nodded

"Why else would the crest be there?" she asked monotonously. Itachi gave her a warning look to which she ignored, her face growing hot under the sun. Sasuke rested his head on his brothers shoulder for a moment before he spoke again

"Dad really is amazing! Are you going to go work there?" Sasuke asked his older brother.

"I'm not sure" Itachi said trying to sound indifferent. Ryuu looked up at him again, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. She was bent on finding out what this guy was hiding and yet, her trust in him was so strong...

"Ryuu I heard you turned down graduation" Mikoto said with an edge of shock in her voice at dinner. Ryuu paused feeling Fugaku's eyes on her now. Placing her chopsticks down to be as respectful as she could she met Mikoto's dark deep caring eyes. She felt safe with that woman present to speak freely.

"I didn't think I was ready, besides, I would be lonely without my friends" she said with a shrug and continued eating as a cover to ignore Fugaku's irritation.

"A true prodigy like yourself is an asset Ryuu, you can't be selfish everyone faces loneliness in their life" the man said, his voice stern, giving away nothing. Ryuu bit back her retort and kept her voice steady now, she knew there was no way out of her situation.

"What if I'm not a true prodigy? Yes I am skilled but we all have different personalities" she said coolly. Mikoto nodded and stood up trying to keep the situation cool as well

"I'm sure you can prefect your skills that way as well" she said pulling out cake for dessert, despite no one being done with dinner. Ryuu sighed with relief, this is why she liked Mikoto's presence. Itachi glanced over at Ryuu, again another warning look but this time she did not ignore

"Yes that is also another reason that this is my wish" she said bowing her head at Fugaku "I'm very sorry for my rudeness, I'm just tired my iron is low again please excuse me" she said standing up swaying a little to cover with her story. Itachi stood now with her to, helping her like he always did.

"Father, mother if I may I am going to escort Ryuu home, we don't want her catching cold in her condition" he asked, looking directly at his father.

"Yes of course, I accept the apology Ryuu I expect great things from my future daughter inlaw". Ryuu felt a pang go through her heart, she hated being in the arranged marriage with Itachi. In her mind, she felt it could never happen. As the two walked down the street Ryuu turned to Itachi

"Thank you" she murmured softly.

"Anytime, we have to learn to work together after all" Itachi said gazing at the sky with the sun setting. Ryuu stopped, her fist bunching and her anger spilling over

"But don't you think this is unfair?" she demanded now and there was no stopping her words "You have to give up your girlfriend, your freedom to chose a wife one day! And in turn my freedom to have a husband I want to marry! This, this is just wrong! I- I can't..." her tears began now "I can't decide all of this now, and neither can you were far too young and they only want this to happen to stop the feud were pawns in their pathetic game! Peices of meat they think they can push any one way they want because we hold the most 'promise' if they're so grown up why can't they just figure out how to solve their own stupid problems? Why US Itachi? WHY?" she was screaming now, on her knees in a ball. Itachi stood calmly for a few moments, as if weighing his words carefully.

"Yes it is not fair, but sometimes, we have to uphold images we do not wish to have" he said as a wind picked up. Ryuu stopped crying now and gazed up at her husband to be "But we must continue in the game, until we can find other options, until we can make the choices ourselves, if we broke the marriage, there would only be more war" he said looking at the girl now "sometimes the biggest sacrifices are the best pay offs" he said with his weak smile.

"Don't give me that...that ugh that BULL SHIT!" Ryuu choked on the swear "you and I both know, this isn't fair and I do not want someone so, easily swayed as you! There has to be another way, your just like the rest! A dog of society!" she yelled again before she started to run. Itachi stood letting the cool empty night set in, his hair blew across his cheek as he chewed the words he wanted to say most, whispering them only to himself in the lonely ally.

"To me, it is so much more then that". And with that, he turned and walked away, his back to the spot in which it all unraveled.

Sunlight sprayed over Ryuu's face as the chirping of the birds began to filter into her mind.

"Ryuu don't be late" her mother called from the bottom of the stairs. Sitting up she dressed herself for another weary day. She hadn't spoken to Itachi since their argument, and Sasuke was growing more and more concerned. She hadn't even spoke as much as usual since then, something had ruptured deep inside and she feared every word would bring forth the truth. Getting dressed she ventured down the stairs. She didn't realize that there was a third voice in the kitchen that morning.

"Mo-" her voice stopped dead, as she glared at the last person she wanted to see.

"Good morning Ryuu" Itachi said calmly holding his tea cup with his infamous weak smile. "I was just telling your mother, that well I am not sure this marriage can continue, please sit" he motioned for Ryuu to the chair closest to him. Feeling her finger tips go numb she bit back tears, and a sadness she didn't know she possessed for this situation. Itachi continued

"I just find that making this our primary source of salvage to be unfair to Ryuu, she's so young and has a life to live" he said kindly. Ryuu glanced over to Itachi and back at her hands.

"Yes I was wondering when these issues would arise" Gina said now leaning against the counter to take a sip of her coffee. "But how did you family react? Surely not well" she said.

"They are unaware as of yet, I thought I would speak to you both first so that there is no misunderstanding, it is not because I do not wish for our clans to be brought together in peace" he finished. Ryuu stood up now, her limbs shaking as the fear of never seeing Itachi again gripped her heart.

"No its ok!" she declared. Gina and Itachi glanced over at the young girl in unison, Itachi with the most shock on his face while Gina smiled in pride. "I do not mind, besides, it will look bad to the people of Konoha as well, gossip will bring our attempts at peace to ruins" she stopped to catch her breath from the feelings welling up inside "As well as, Fugaku will only be angry and..." Ryuu's eyes met Itachi's, locking in promise to each other "I will be more then pleased, once I am a young woman to be with such a man" she finished. Itachi looked down at his tea as if the steam had told some less then funny joke he smiled.

"Very well, I withdraw my previous statements, thank you Ryuu I to look forward to the wedding date" he said now. Ryuu sat down feeling her deep depression grip her once more. Gina clapped her hands together

"Wonderful simply wonderful I knew you would both be the best match!" she said handing Ryuu her breakfast and iron pill. Ryuu ate slowly, feeling far too full of grievances to fathom the idea of food. After they ate Itachi and Ryuu stood in unison and headed out the door.

"Thank you, you saved me back there" Itachi confessed as soon as they were not within ear shot of either clan.

"I may not WANT to marry you, but I also don't want you to get into trouble for my sake" Ryuu stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Itachi nodded, his weak smile plastered on his face again. Ryuu stopped and looked up at him "Besides, I trust you at least, and, you do make me happy maybe, just maybe this will be best after all I don't want us to fight anymore either I don't even know why the stupid war began in the first place" she confessed. Itachi nodded

"And neither do I, I just want it to stop to". Ryuu smiled up at Itachi

"See we've already got enough in common" she said trying to seem brave. Itachi smirked

"Yes, more then you think" he said coolly giving her a hug before they came into public site. Itachi stood in the shadows now, feeling his heart ache. He really did love the girl, very much so but he knew, that in the end she would hate him.


End file.
